Actions from ComptoniteMovable Type Pro 4.382011-01-16T01:51:42Zhttp://www.kcet.org/user/profile/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=feed&_type=actions&username=cookedyCommented on Before the 1950s, the Whiteness of Compton was Defended Vehemently in SoCal Focustag:www.kcet.org,2011:/updaily/socal_focus//1239.29310#173502011-01-16T09:51:42ZComptonite
I enjoyed reading and watching the reflections of the community in which I was raised, particularly those of my father Ellis Cooke and life-long neighbor, Marie Hollis. I also appreciate the exploration of the history and culture of Richland Farms so that a larger audience can see that Comptonites have rich experiences and are not solely defined by gangs and violence; and that communities are diverse and ever changing. However, I would like to point out an incorrect assertion that Ellis Cooke is a "White family man" and "last vestige of Methodist Temperance." In fact, he is the grandson of slaves and identifies as African American or Black. The articles' statements are incorrect and reflect the need to explore more fully American constructions of race and racial identity. Further, the misrepresentation undercuts some of the assumptions of this article because my family's move to Compton in 1962 wasn't a representation of White tolerance as implied, but conversely a representation of Blacks aspirations for a better life. ]]>